Men's petty kingdoms by Arthur Katz (transcription)

You can listen to the audio message  here:http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/singlefile.php?lid=12157&commentView=itemComments Men's petty kingdoms by Arthur Katz Well, I want to take you this morning to a river, as I took you the other day to a mountain. It's that famous Jordan ,which is ever and always the profound place of choice and of crossing. And before I read from it, I just want to read that paean of praise to the church that is given us in the book of Hebrews. Don't turn - just listen to the amplified rendering. "But rather," it begins, "you've not been called to the old time religion and to the revival of the things that titillate your soul, because they're couched in the things that are familiar, and the sentiment of old. And you're not called to the worldly wisdom of men in their diagnostic helps for your church growth, but rather ,you have approached unto mount Zion even to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless multitudes of angels in festal gatherings. and to the church. The assembly of the Firstborn who are registered as citizens in heaven,"  That's far more than christian respectability.  "and to the Judge who is God of all, and to the spirits of the righteous who have been made perfect." This is evidently then something more than than Sunday church. Its evidently a suggestion of a far more intensive quality of a relationship, where the spirits of just men can be made perfect, that they might be citizens in heaven. "And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,. So see to it that you do not reject Him, or refuse to listen, and to heed Him who is speaking to you now."  My prayer this morning. especially, and in these days in general has been this: that I might be to Him as a mouth for you. " "For if they, the Israelites, did not escape when they refused to listen, and heed Him who warned them and divinely instructed them here on earth, revealing with heavenly warnings His will - how much less shall we escape if we reject ,and turn our backs on Him who cautions and admonishes us from heaven? Then at Sinai His voice shook the earth - but now He has given a promise 'yet once more will I shake and make tremble not only the earth, but also the heavens'. Now this expression yet once more indicates the final removal and transformation of all that can be shaken. That is - of that which has been created: in order that that which cannot be shaken may remain, and continue." May I prophecy? That if you have not experienced yet a shaking individually and in your churches and throughout your movements, that you shall. And that these speakings have been the beginnings of shakings for God will not allow to remain that which which cannot remain: all that is earthly, all that has its origin in human initiative, and in sentiment, and in tradition - however hallowed and however dear, is going to be crumbled and be brought into the dust. Mark those words. We re going to see movements collapse, stagger, sway and fall .Were going to see the most lustrous charismatic churches and great multimillion-dollar plants be terrible stigmas, Empty houses unable to pay their mortgages, and to save themselves from their financial indebtedness , who were carried off by the fever of the hour in great building promotions. We're going to se some of the glossiest, and snazziest of present day ministries turn to dust. There's only one thing that will survive the shaking. It's a kingdom that is firm and stable that cannot be shaken. "So offer to God pleasing service and acceptable worship with modesty and pious care and godly fear and awe. For our God is indeed a consuming fire." With that admonition will you turn with me to the first chapter of the gospel of John? I cant think of a heavier imperative for the church of Jesus Christ in the earth today than the incarnation of God in them: the mystery of God which is His deity, his heavenly glory revealed through flesh. That' s much more than being correct, scripturally sound,…. and respectable. . Its a glory, the phenomenon is a glory, "and no man has seen God at any time. But the only unique begotten Son was who was in the bosom of the father ,,,He has revealed him."  God will not do anything outside his Son. I want to tell you that. If His Son is not in your movement and your movement is not in His son, you shall be outside the holy end time purposes of God. You may make a sound - you may have your activity and your programs: but it counts for nothing that is eternal. Only the Son which is in the bosom of the father - not in tradition , not in respectability, not in human wisdom and devices, in programs, and in methodologies, but in the bosom of the Father in the heavenly places. He shall reveal Him. My Jewish life was confronted and stopped short when I beheld in a simple gentile girl, whom i should have disdained, and utterly cast aside as not worthy of my attention, "the light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of the people Israel". In her simplicity and in her transparency. God was in her face. "And the word", it says in the 14th verse "became flesh, human and incarnate, and tabernacled - fixed His tent and lived awhile among us and we actually saw His glory, His honor, His majesty - such glory as an only begotten Son receives from his Father, full of grace and truth" My only regret is that I have not been able to speak to you on truth.  It's full, or its not the Son.  Its full of truth and grace - or its not the Son who is in the bosom of the Father.  if you are making polite references that soothes and smooths the situation over, but is not true, it is no longer full of grace and truth. It is no longer the Son in the bosom of the Father, and is no longer the revelation of the Word made Flesh - which alone can save men out of death. You can have all your evangelistic programs, but you need to be full of grace and truth. "John testified about Him and cried out, 'this is he of whom I said, He that comes after me, has priority over me, for He was before me, and He takes rank above me, and He existed before I did.'" How we need to parrot that cry! Do you realize that there is One who has priority over you and who takes rank over you? I'll tell you that if I would just summarize the whole issue at the end of the age its this, it's the the petty kingdoms of men verses THE kingdom of God.  It is the Kingdom of heaven.  It has priority over you and it takes rank over you. Have you seen that and have you acknowledged that?